Recording bass guitar with a SM57??
- Thread starter Kimmi
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blueprintstudios
New member
nope. won't. at least i've tried so. sometimes I'd even mike up 3 mics on the bass amp.
1 room condenser for the highs (condenser must place further back!!)
1 sm57 for the mids
1 kickdrum/bass mic like audix d6 for the lows.
watch the phase.
1 room condenser for the highs (condenser must place further back!!)
1 sm57 for the mids
1 kickdrum/bass mic like audix d6 for the lows.
watch the phase.
blueprintstudios
New member
yes it'll work similar, as kickdrum mics are designed to pick up more lows. may not sound better than my audix d6 of course since it costed me $250sgd compared to a samson.
> I bought a di box to plug it straight into my interface but it keeps clipping even when i've turned the gain down to pratically zero.
what DI box brand? model? and how do you connect? bass > DI > audio interface? what's your audio interface? it shouldn't be clipping hehe.
> what is phase?
http://www.recordingeq.com/EQ/req1001/mmi.htm
> I bought a di box to plug it straight into my interface but it keeps clipping even when i've turned the gain down to pratically zero.
what DI box brand? model? and how do you connect? bass > DI > audio interface? what's your audio interface? it shouldn't be clipping hehe.
> what is phase?
http://www.recordingeq.com/EQ/req1001/mmi.htm
blueprintstudios
New member
so you mean from bass > DI Box > ProjectMix I /O> Pro tools and 0 gain you're clipping still?? tried turning down the volume knob on your bass?? thats weird.
Kimmi
New member
haha.hmm...kind of forget but i all i remember,no matter how much i turned my gain,the chances of it clipping was there.Thats when i DI my bass thus i'm considering just micing my bass amp up instead.
DI looks more convinient and i've read saying DI a bass is better since you can the natural sound of the bass.
DI looks more convinient and i've read saying DI a bass is better since you can the natural sound of the bass.
blueprintstudios
New member
well there could be something you're doing wrong. from Bass > DI Box > interface you're not supposed to clip that easily.
DI indeed is more convenient and quiet. but to say "DI bass is better so can get natural sound of bass" is abit inaccurate there. cos think about it. usually you hear your bass this way :
Bass > pedal (if any) > bass head preamp > bass cabinet speaker cone > your ears.
not
Bass > 1/4jack plugged into your ears.
thats why the sound is still different even if :
bass > DI into soundcard > your favourite headphones > your ears
vs
bass > DI into soundcard > power amp > monitor speakers/cones > your ears.
and YET
" > " > mp3 player china brand> earphones
" > " > mp3 player good brand > earphones (believe me , I got a china brand one which has no lows)
and end of the day, even all our hearing and preferences are different!
so best is be your own judge when it comes to preferences rather than read what others say and follow.
DI indeed is more convenient and quiet. but to say "DI bass is better so can get natural sound of bass" is abit inaccurate there. cos think about it. usually you hear your bass this way :
Bass > pedal (if any) > bass head preamp > bass cabinet speaker cone > your ears.
not
Bass > 1/4jack plugged into your ears.
thats why the sound is still different even if :
bass > DI into soundcard > your favourite headphones > your ears
vs
bass > DI into soundcard > power amp > monitor speakers/cones > your ears.
and YET
" > " > mp3 player china brand> earphones
" > " > mp3 player good brand > earphones (believe me , I got a china brand one which has no lows)
and end of the day, even all our hearing and preferences are different!
so best is be your own judge when it comes to preferences rather than read what others say and follow.
blueprintstudios
New member
no prob man, do keep us updated and post up recordings once its done
blueprintstudios
New member
haha thank you. although as I always feel there's room for improvement. and low end gear is just an excuse, not a reason.
blueprintstudios
New member
well, there's shit gear = which is 16bit onboard soundcard, pc mics, etc.
low end gear = bedroom level
high end gear = full fledged studios.
professional level = $1'000'000 and above kind.
so my belief is , just cos you got poor gear, you can make it up with better more effort mixing. i can say "oh, my gear just like that and like that. thats why it doesn't sound as good as full studios with that and this" , then I get to know someone talented somewhere in the world with same level gear as I do and he kicks the ass of local studios with better gear ironically.
therefore, it's just a cheap excuse, not a valid reason, like "oh this guy's mixing is poor because he's born deaf, and he's just mixing via looking at the EQ analyzer" .
low end gear = bedroom level
high end gear = full fledged studios.
professional level = $1'000'000 and above kind.
so my belief is , just cos you got poor gear, you can make it up with better more effort mixing. i can say "oh, my gear just like that and like that. thats why it doesn't sound as good as full studios with that and this" , then I get to know someone talented somewhere in the world with same level gear as I do and he kicks the ass of local studios with better gear ironically.
therefore, it's just a cheap excuse, not a valid reason, like "oh this guy's mixing is poor because he's born deaf, and he's just mixing via looking at the EQ analyzer" .
osXsan
New member
DI clipping
I can only see two faults to why it might be clipping -
Check that your DI input is on 0dB if there's a limiter switch. Some DIs - even cheapo Behringers have a level attenuator for instruments of different level. 0/10/20 dB cuts. What bass Amp you DI-ing from? If its balanced out. Leave the DI at 0dB. Check your manual about this.
Have you checked the input on your ProjectMix? Is there a switch for input signal to be -4db / 10 db? It should be at -4 for Balanced signal esp coming from DI box. If its amp out you'd want to put it at 10dB for the signal would not be hot enuf. Also known as Hi-Z.
Don't worry about phase. That's only when you mic up 2 mics of similar frequencies cancelling each other out.
Last but not least, even guys like me forget to turn on Phantom Power when using DIs & Condenser mics thus not having any signal. Phantom ON!
Hope that helps. Good luck.
Oh about mics. 2 Mics would do enuf. That kick drum for low end with HPF on. And the SM57 to cover the whole spectrum. Play around with compression and EQ. You'd be sweet widit.
I can only see two faults to why it might be clipping -
Check that your DI input is on 0dB if there's a limiter switch. Some DIs - even cheapo Behringers have a level attenuator for instruments of different level. 0/10/20 dB cuts. What bass Amp you DI-ing from? If its balanced out. Leave the DI at 0dB. Check your manual about this.
Have you checked the input on your ProjectMix? Is there a switch for input signal to be -4db / 10 db? It should be at -4 for Balanced signal esp coming from DI box. If its amp out you'd want to put it at 10dB for the signal would not be hot enuf. Also known as Hi-Z.
Don't worry about phase. That's only when you mic up 2 mics of similar frequencies cancelling each other out.
Last but not least, even guys like me forget to turn on Phantom Power when using DIs & Condenser mics thus not having any signal. Phantom ON!
Hope that helps. Good luck.
Oh about mics. 2 Mics would do enuf. That kick drum for low end with HPF on. And the SM57 to cover the whole spectrum. Play around with compression and EQ. You'd be sweet widit.
Last edited:
blueprintstudios
New member
why would we mind, this is soft!
> Bass > mixer > PC sound card > Record using Audicity
YES!!
I have a FAQ here : http://soft.com.sg/forum/showthread.php?t=38326
so in your case you're using mixer as a Preamp/EQ etc.
> Bass > mixer > PC sound card > Record using Audicity
YES!!
I have a FAQ here : http://soft.com.sg/forum/showthread.php?t=38326
so in your case you're using mixer as a Preamp/EQ etc.
blueprintstudios
New member
osxsan : haha, yes, i get that "amnesia" for phantom power thing too. like "Ready? Record! .....er... where's my di bass?" or "ok drums give a 3 stick count! record! .... hmm.. where's my overheads..? (phantom power for condenser mics)"
Kimmi : osxsan mentioned on how many mics are enough, this one depends on your style of recording bass. some ppl use one DI bass + one mic, some ppl use 2,3 or even 4. some ppl just use one mic one the bass amp. if it sounds good, it works.
Kimmi : osxsan mentioned on how many mics are enough, this one depends on your style of recording bass. some ppl use one DI bass + one mic, some ppl use 2,3 or even 4. some ppl just use one mic one the bass amp. if it sounds good, it works.
JonEthan
New member
Kimmi
New member
"Have you checked the input on your ProjectMix? Is there a switch for input signal to be -4db / 10 db? It should be at -4 for Balanced signal esp coming from DI box. If its amp out you'd want to put it at 10dB for the signal would not be hot enuf. Also known as Hi-Z."
hmm..i don see any switch. For the di's case,i put it on 0 db like the manual. I di the signal from a sx bass amp headphone output.
i ended up trying blueprintstudios method of using the kick drum and also the sm57 but realise,the kick drum really has a better respone to the bass amp!! WOOHOO!!
hmm..i don see any switch. For the di's case,i put it on 0 db like the manual. I di the signal from a sx bass amp headphone output.
i ended up trying blueprintstudios method of using the kick drum and also the sm57 but realise,the kick drum really has a better respone to the bass amp!! WOOHOO!!
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